Introducing: The Backwoods Massacre

You know when you see a band name that’s so out there and attention-grabbing that you think, ‘I just have to check guys out’? Well, with no hesitation let me introduce you to West Virginia’s very own The Backwoods Massacre.

From their name you should be able to deduce that this is not nicey-nice pop – and it’s certainly anything but. But let’s start with that band name… We caught up with drummer Chris ‘The Voiceless’ Reynolds this week and asked him to explain.

Chris told us: “The Backwoods Massacre is the darkness people see when they turn out the lights at night, the shadows that are cast upon the endless trees and mountains at dusk. They are the eyes of the mountains and the keepers of the lost souls that have wandered a little too far into the backwoods. A shadow that lingers behind you and then quickly disappears.

“We are messengers sent to ensure the Curse, which is to either help or make sure someone meets their ultimate demise. The history of death in West Virginia is legendary as many have fallen in great tragedy. The victims and souls are all destined to be collected by The Backwoods Massacre as they Join The Curse.”

Now that’s probably the most fascinating introduction to a band’s psyche I’ve ever had on this site, so we had to have a listen and certainly weren’t disappointed. The band’s first single She Should Have opens up with big metal guitars and smashes of cymbal that lead into a brutal scream followed by a huge opening verse full of blood-curdling screamed vocals. The chorus is a strangely engaging romp of cleaner vocals, with the interesting lyrics “She will never leave this place, she will never be the same” followed by several repeats of “She will die” and “No-one can save her” then a huge scream of “Soul.”

Safe to say this is not one for young children, but we absolutely love it. The looping guitars from Henry ‘Hardcore Ghost’ Thompson are relentlessly heavy, as are Reynolds’ powerful cymbal smashes, in support of the devastating vocal delivery from frontman Danch. Check it out for yourself in the video below:

We asked Chris to sum up where this music is conjured from, and he told us: “We are mainly influenced by our surroundings in West Virginia that we have experienced. We are influenced by the mountains, the trees, life, death, paranormal, ghosts, history and also a variation of many metal and rock artists from classic to present times.”

We’ve spoken to a few West Virginia bands in recent weeks, so we asked Chris to give us his thoughts on the state’s music scene. He said: “WV certainly is a hotbed of unknown talent! Some of the best bands I have ever heard are from here and that’s counting the greats. There’s just not enough demand for live music as there once was but us WV folk are trying to have a resurgence!”

One thing’s for sure, with more bands like The Backwoods Massacre emerging from the trees there certainly will be a resurgence on our hands.

The band has an exciting year ahead, with plenty more music coming our way soon. In Chris’ words: “For 2017 we will be playing as many shows and events as possible, digging holes and collecting souls, which means good times, entertainment and doing what we enjoy.”